The Well Is Re-Opening Under New Ownership!

A Letter From Anwen, The Well’s New Owner

May 24th, 2018

Dearest Friends of The Well,

I am honored and grateful to be the new owner and steward of The Well. I grew up across the bridge in San Rafael, where I currently have a sustainable farm with a focus on medicinal herbs. I have spent the last year helping my dear friend create and run San Rafael’s local wellness cafe and event space, Key Tea. I have seen the power of community building around herbs and food as medicine. I am in deep gratitude to The Well’s founder, Marielle, for creating such a space in Oakland and for trusting me to carry out her vision of a place centered around people care, earth care, and fair share. I am in deep gratitude to Marielle’s support throughout the transfer and her commitment to see The Well thriving for many years to come. And I am in deep gratitude to you, The Well community, for welcoming me into this space and for being an integral part of The Well.

What is staying the same…

I am planning to continue many aspects of The Well business as was run by Marielle. I hope to continue stewarding beloved community and I am committed to keeping the space as accessible, diverse, and inclusive as possible for all folks. Herbal drinks and eats will still be the focus of The Well, as reflected in our new menu. We will also continue to offer workshop space for community teachings. It will continue to be a kid friendly zone with toys and high chairs easily available. We will continue to source our ingredients from sustainable and ethical sources and strive to be as local and organic as possible. We will continue to pay our employees fair wages and offer benefits.

Some changes…

In the honoring of my Chinese ancestry and my summers spent in Chinese tea houses, we will be creating a line of organic Chinese teas and offering tea ceremonies. We will also be adding kava to our menu. Kava is a root from the Pacific Islands that is known for its relaxing and socializing effects. With the addition of kava and our hopes of being an alternative nightlife lounge, we will be expanding our hours to Monday-Friday 9am-midnight, Saturdays, 9am-6pm, and Sundays 9am-9pm, with curated events on select Saturday nights. We will also offer one “karma bowl” and “karma drink” per day. These will be “pay what you can” meals in order to keep healthy food accessible to the entire community. The karma bowls will be rotating rice bowls with tofu or eggs, vegetables, fermented goods, and culinary herbs. The karma drinks will be rotating herbal teas and elixirs served hot or cold. We will also be adding a cold case for grab-and-go items. Additionally, we will be adding weekly community events, such as open mics, art nights, and curated workshops. There are more new projects in the works and there is space for things to change and expand based on the community’s needs.

How can you play a role?

Please come say hi and introduce yourself! Tell me what The Well means to you? What would you like to see continued in the space? What would you like to see added to the space? If you would like to hold a workshop (starting June 14th onward) please send me an email at [email protected] Are you interested in working at The Well? Please email me for job descriptions! Lastly, please tell your friends and family about us!

Indigogo campaign and VIP opening party

We will be launching an Indigogo campaign on June 12th with some sweet deals, including a month of unlimited kava and tea, private tastings of the entire new menu, Chinese cultural immersions, and discounted workshop hosting in The Well. You can get a sneak peak at the draft of the campaign here. Those who support the campaign during the first 24 hours will be sent an invitation to a VIP opening party. The funds raised through this campaign will be used to expand the bar seating for kava, expand outdoor seating (including vertical herb gardens!), add a Chinese tea tasting corner, build a stage for open mics and performances, buy a PA system, and more! Additionally, if you would like to be on the host team for the campaign (which involves making a few social media posts and receiving free perks), please send me an email at [email protected] Thank you for your support.

When we are repoening and a thank you

Lastly, when are we reopening?? We will reopen our doors on August 1st! Until then, we will have the space open for select community workshops. We also are having a Revive & Rejoice Reopening Celebration on June 6th from 4pm-10pm. You can find more details here. Please check our website and facebook page for updates on these workshops and reach out to me if you would like to host a workshop. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of and co-creating this community. I’m so grateful for all of you and excited for the abundance of good food, drinks, shared laughter, and caring relationships for years to come.

In love and gratitude,

Anwen Cai Baumeister

A Letter From Marielle, The Well’s Founder

Dear Friends and Community of The Well,

With the blossoming of spring, and the late season rains, I am pleased to announce that The Well with be re-opening under new ownership this summer. Since closing for reflection and restructuring at the end of 2017, it has become clear that I am no longer able to provide the leadership that is needed for the sustainability and thriving of The Well.

Therefore, it is with heart and a hopeful spirit that I am excited to share that new owner, Anwen Baumeister, will be carrying The Well forward. It has been an honor for me to steward this vision in to being over the past few years, and I’m so grateful for this new chapter to emerge. Get ready for a return of your familiar favorites, plus new inspired additions that weave story, culture, and medicine into magic for the soul.

I will be turning my energies toward tending to my family, but will be continuing to do some medicine making for The Well and support the community events at the space. I hope to see you again at The Well. You’ll likely find me with my baby in tow sipping on kava and sharing noodles with friends.